


Ghost Parental Guidance

by GothicDeetz



Category: Beetlejuice (1988), Beetlejuice - All Media Types
Genre: Abuse, Additional Warnings Apply, Afterlife, Anger, Beating, Bonding, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Dead People, Demons, Enemies, Families of Choice, Fights, Found Family, Gen, Ghosts, Kidnapping, Multi, Near Death, Near Death Experiences, Not Really Character Death, Rescue, Rescue Missions, Swearing, Tags Contain Spoilers, Talking To Dead People, Threats, Threats of Violence, Triggers, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:02:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25405831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GothicDeetz/pseuds/GothicDeetz
Summary: When Betelgeuse kidnaps Lydia late one night, her ghostly guardians and best friends are forced to go on a journey through the afterlife to rescue their daughter figure from their longtime enemy. Can they do it on time? Or will they never see Lydia again?
Relationships: Beetlejuice & Adam Maitland & Barbara Maitland, Beetlejuice & Lydia Deetz, Beetlejuice & Lydia Deetz & Adam Maitland & Barbara Maitland, Lydia Deetz & Adam Maitland & Barbara Maitland
Comments: 10
Kudos: 6





	Ghost Parental Guidance

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger warnings for lots and lots of threats, violence, abuse, and swearing. If you don’t want to read any of that then turn away from this story.

The Maitlands loved Lydia just as much as her real dad and stepmother did, the three of them growing close like a family. They may not be related but still, the Maitlands often liked to think of and treat fifteen year-old Lydia as if she was their own daughter, a little more than best friends. Their closeness was something that made Charles and Delia confident that the Maitlands could take care of Lydia whilst the two of them went out of town to visit some of their friends up in New York City. They did that often, which meant that the Maitlands took more care of Lydia than Charles and Delia ever did.

They were often playing games together in the living room or cooking together or reading together or Lydia and Barbara would often be found in Lydia's bedroom with Lydia sitting on her bed whilst Barbara styled her hair for fun or they would be found messing around in the living room and having a tickle fight. It was all in good fun and Charles and Delia would often come home and be amused by or proud of or upset by what their daughter (Stepdaughter) was doing with the Maitlands at the moment (This one time, they came home to find a possessed Lydia hanging from the chandelier in the living room and the Maitlands underneath her, laughing and smiling as they made her jump down from the chandelier, frightening her dad and stepmom and making them angry with the Maitlands. It wasn't long-lasting thankfully, to the Maitlands' relief).

One hot day in the middle of July...

"Are you sure you got everything under control?" asked Charles as he and Delia stood by the front door, preparing to go on yet another trip up to New York City. "No possessing our dear Lydia this time? Dels and I still have nightmares of you guys possessing Lydia and making her jump down from the chandelier. Those nightmares often end up with Lydia dying and moving on to the "Afterlife" as you refer to it right?" The Maitlands nodded. "Boy do those nightmares make us break out in a cold sweat. We don't want anything bad happening to Lydia whilst we're gone. Is that understood?"

The Maitlands nodded again. 

"Good," said Charles as he opened the door.

"Lydia!" Barbara shouted up the stairs. "Come say goodbye to your dad and stepmom!"

Lydia peeked her head out of her bedroom door and shouted, "Bye, dad! Bye, stepmom! See you soon!"

They waved at her then exited the house, leaving Lydia to have as much fun as she wanted with the Maitlands for a whole week. They couldn't wait for what was to come, lots of fun together, plenty of activities, reading, plenty of tickle fights and games. What they didn't know was that something bad was going to happen that night. Something very bad. 

The Maitlands had tucked Lydia into bed after a fun day of playing games, possessing Lydia and making her do things that she shouldn't (It was both discussed and decided amongst the three of them that neither Charles or Delia find out that the Maitlands had gone against their request to not possess Lydia), reading, and Adam watching happily from the doorway of Lydia's bedroom as Barbara styled the teen's hair. The Maitlands had just settled down to read and overall chat about their day when they heard the shout of "Get away from me, you Jerkass! Fuck you!" emanate from Lydia's bedroom. That's when they knew something was up.

In a hurry, both ghosts stood up, Barbara turning to Adam. "What was that?"

"I don't know but we better go up and see for ourselves."

They nodded to each other then rushed upstairs. Once they reached Lydia's room, they opened the door to find...

"Betelgeuse! You piece of shit!" 

He turned to them, a clear smirk flashed across his face, saying with utmost excitement, "I'm back!" as if the Maitlands were happy to see him, which they weren't. 

Barbara's face contorted into a look of pure and absolute rage and she marched towards Betelgeuse, gripping his shoulders and slamming him hard against a wall. "What in the actual hell are you doing back here?! You know you're not welcome here after everything you did to us and-." She was cut off by Betelgeuse pulling away from her and holding up a hand to silence her. 

"Woah, woah, hey now, Babs, Adam, Lyds, I am totally sorry for everything I did to the lot of you and I-." Barbara slammed Betelgeuse against the wall again and the no-good demon saw Adam and Lydia raise their fists.

"I don't believe you!" the female ghost snarled. "None of us do! We don't know what you want or what you're doing here but you need to leave! NOW!" 

"Do you mind if I tells ya?" asked Betelgeuse.

"NO!" Adam and Barbara shouted in unison as Lydia backed up against a nearby wall to try and get away from Betelgeuse.

"Have it your way then, deadbeats." Betelgeuse flicked his hand and Lydia was lifted up into the air just as a door to the afterlife opened up.

"LYDIA!!!" the Maitlands shouted in unison, knowing full well what was about to happen to their beloved daughter figure and best living friend. Betelgeuse gave the Maitlands a wicked smirk as Lydia floated through the door.

"See ya, deadbeats!" Betelgeuse leapt through the door after Lydia and it slammed closed with a soundless thud.

"Lydia..." Barbara broke down in tears, Adam holding her close and running a hand through her Brown, curly hair. "Lydia...."

"Don't worry, honey," Adam said calmly as he lifted her head up so she was looking him in the eyes, cold and wet tears pouring from hers. "We'll get Lydia back and stop Betelgeuse before Charles and Delia return home to find her missing. I sure as hell wouldn't want to be yelled at for losing Lydia. I can't believe we lost her already and it's the end of the first day of Charles's and Delia's weeklong vacation."

Barbara stood up, already calming down. "Then we better get a move on if we want to get Lydia home before her dad and stepmom return to an empty house. You ready?"

"Always." Adam smiled at her. 

"Then let's get going. We got nothing to lose." 

The Maitlands nodded to each other, Adam drawing a door to the afterlife and holding onto his wife's hand as he led her through.

Hopefully Betelgeuse didn't get too far with Lydia.

Hopefully.

The Maitlands hoped they'd find and get Lydia home in the nick of time.


End file.
